


I fear your smile and the promise inside

by AngelBless



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: 13 whump, Blood, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Exhaustion, Gen, Headaches, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Internal Damage, Nausea, Parallel Universe, Referenced Character Deaths, Roleswap AU, Spoilers for Episode: s12e10 The Timeless Children, Unreliable Narrator (a little), Visions, Whump, dhawan!doctor is referrred to by a different name so my brain doesn't explode, having two doctors is a nightmare for naming, mental manipulation, minor identity crisis too. very small one, my own take on d!d, my own take on w!m, she’s out of space prison too, slightly inspired by other interpretations too though, telepathic attacks, whittaker!master messing up 13
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:33:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23595385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelBless/pseuds/AngelBless
Summary: “Welcome to 'impossible',Doctor.”She was searching for answers, and on the way she could only assume she'd crash landed onto a parallel earth. No TARDIS, but that was fine, nothing she couldn't handle.That was until a sharply dressed woman approached her and things suddenly became a lot more dangerous.
Comments: 30
Kudos: 60





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wait, this isn't FFXV! O: ...Yeah I know, I jumped on a new obsession. Oops! xD
> 
> So I kind of fell in love with the concept of Whittaker!Master, and after seeing a few interpretations I thought I'd have my own (very brief) crack at it. This is more of a plottless segment that could very easily be part of a story, but another story I'm working on right now is already at 20k+ words and needs a lot of research, so keeping it short isn't a bad idea.
> 
> So! Hope those of you who give this a read enjoy. I had a lot of fun with it :D
> 
> I'll also link at the bottom the fanart I drew that inspired this one-shot.

She’d let herself get distracted. _Big mistake_. She stared transfixed on the woman before her, not even realising the restrained, almost caressing way she raised her cane to the side of her head as she spoke.

“Now now, dear, you don’t want to see what’s in here, surely.” She lowers the Doctor’s hand slowly, moving it away from her temple. “Or maybe you do?” she teased, her voice melodic. “Ever the nosey one, I see.”

The Doctor didn’t reply, eyes narrowing as they scanned every detail of her. It couldn’t be possible, yet here she was, standing before her.

“But maybe…” The woman began, the slow movements she made missed as her face held the Timelord’s attention. “Just maybe…” The topper of the cane smashed into the side of her head, dazing her as she stumbled to keep her balance. The woman slammed it down into her shoulder, sending her crashing unceremoniously to the ground. “ _Maybe_ I might try to get into that pretty little head of yours instead.” The Doctor blinked hard against the fuzz that had clouded her vision; the woman standing over her shared her face— _the exact same face_. Only the deadness of her eyes and carefully styled curls of her hair told of any real difference.

“You’re not...possible,” she ground out, gritting her teeth against the throbbing in her head. The smirk grew into a grin as the woman crouched down, expertly balanced on the balls of her feet. She carefully took hold of the Doctor’s chin, tilting her head to look at her face on.

“ _My_ Doctor…” The words sat awfully in the Doctor’s stomach. “Tells me such absurd things too.” She stood up again, expression eerily neutral, but hiding something underneath that sparked recognition in the Doctor’s sluggish mind. “Welcome to 'impossible', _Doctor_.”

The toe of her heeled shoe slammed against the Doctor’s stomach, a cry escaping her as she gasped for air, rolling onto her back. A patronising ‘aww’ escaped the woman’s lips as her foot came down again, heel so sharp she could feel it digging through her. Despite that, she tried to wriggle free, only to be met by an even more powerful wave of pain as it was driven in even deeper, grinding into her. She coughed, cringing at the iron taste it left in her mouth. She didn’t have time to care about that though; it would heal fast.

If she could get away.

It was an agonising while before the pressure on her stomach was lifted and she almost curled up in herself, halted by the base of the cane planting straight into her chest. Not as sharp as her heel, but it still smarted more than a little. Her head slammed back into the ground from the motion, a fresh ache stabbing away at her, joining the rest. The pressure from the cane increased; her breaths grew short and sharp.

“I wasn’t done looking yet, love,” the woman said so sweetly, like sucrose venom. Every inch of her face was studied; same as how the Doctor had studied the woman’s barely minutes before she lost any advantage she could have gained. “My, you’re such a young little thing, so starry eyed, so immature, and yet…” She leant in closer, eyes widening in her own sick sense of childlike joy. “Oh, this is _beautiful_! Such a longing to burn—to turn both the universe to ruins...” She raised her free hand to her face, finger to the corner of her mouth as she deducted. “...And _yourself_.”

The Doctor’s expression steeled, hand reaching up to grab the cane, painfully yanking at it as it slid away from her chest, the woman caught off guard. She made a panicked attempt to stand—to _run_ —but the woman who shared her face had other ideas. Grabbing a fistful of her hair, this darker version of her hoisted her onto her knees. Her vision clouded ominously from being lifted so suddenly, head swirling as she tried to refocus on the figure in front of her.

The smart trousers. The shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbows. The waistcoat.

That sickeningly familiar face.

“Come on now, dear,” she cooed. “I thought you had a bit more fight in you than that.” The sly smile on her face faded. Maybe she was getting bored without any fightback, the Doctor thought fuzzily. Things were clicking into place.

“Say my name.” The request—more of a demand—came suddenly, the Doctor’s blood running that little bit colder through her heavy limbs, hearts picking up the pace.

She knew the name, of course she did. But to speak it out loud would make this entire scenario entirely too real, entirely too much something she’d _definitely_ have to fix.

“ _Say it_.” The voice raised in intensity, a storm building in her voice, in her eyes. The Doctor sucked in as deep a breath as she could; her lungs protested and threatened to send her into a coughing fit. She closed her eyes as the breath escaped her shakily.

“Master.”

The ‘Master’ sucked in her own deep breath, releasing it with a satisfied ‘ahh’, lips pulled tight into an expansive grin. “Once more, love? It’s not every day I hear my own voice speak my name with such _dread_.” She remained quiet, staring resolutely at her face as it blurred in and out of focus, the pressure of her hair pulling at the roots becoming unbearable.

The Master whipped her cane to the side suddenly, the movement sending the lower half to the ground, leaving a sword in its place. “Say it again,” she said firmly, pointing the blade at her face. “Or we won’t look quite so samey anymore.” She feigned a sad pout at the words, completely for show. The Doctor gritted her teeth, eyes narrowing as she launched her hands towards the cane, grabbing it roughly and pushing it aside with a grunt, rising up just enough on her feet to gain purchase to kick her legs from under her. The Master crashed to the ground, the cane becoming loose in her grasp. The Doctor took her chance and whisked away with it, half running half stumbling away and through a maze of buildings and construction works. She was beyond thankful that the encounter had happened somewhere so sheltered; even without a potential concussion, she couldn’t even imagine how she’d get away with nowhere to hide.

She could hear the woman yelling after her; curses in Gallifreyan she hadn’t heard in a long time. Stumbling and managing to catch herself before she lost precious time in her getaway, she launched herself over a stack of boxes and slid to the ground, hitched breaths coming in hard. The boxes practically surrounded her, she didn’t think she’d find a better place to collect her thoughts. The grip she had on the cane was tight, holding it close to her chest, eyes scrunched tight with gritted teeth as she thought her brains for a plan.

It was _her_. But...it wasn’t! But how could that be?! She’d shared faces with those she’d met in the past before, but for the Master to—

Wait, she said ‘my Doctor’. _Her_ Doctor. It was like a dim bulb in the back of her head had finally lit up. There was a Doctor here too! They could help her, they could—

“Oh my darling, you really are making this too easy.”

The voice was close and any attempt to quiet her breathing was lost. It was only then she felt something warm seep into her top and trousers, trickling down her wrists and arms.

Blood.

She’d been propelled by adrenaline, by her own flight responses that she hadn’t even realised the grip she held on the cane the entire time had been cutting into her.

She’d left a trail.

“I’d really like my cane back now, love.” The singsong tone came closer than ever, an ominous prelude that filled her entire body with dread.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two Doctors meet, one familiar face to another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey so remember when yesterday this was a one-shot? Well.... xD
> 
> Ok so this might be a full thing. I'm having fun with it honestly :D Thanks so much for the kudos and lovely comment on the first chapter, I really appreciate it! <3
> 
> Hope you like this one too! Setting a few things up, there'll be more explanation next chapter! I mean, I'm pretty sure there'll be a next chapter :D

The Master hummed as she approached the boxes the convenient little trail of blood had led her to. She did love to let her prey know the chase was coming to an end. She took a more careful route than the Doctor, clambering over the boxes that were stacked more like steps than attempting to vault them. A victorious smirk plastered on her face, she looked over the edge.

Her face faltered.

She found no Doctor there; all that remained was her sword, as blemished with blood as the ground around it, and words roughly scrawled into the gravel. ‘ _IT’S ALL YOURS_ ’. Her lips pulled into a snarl.

The hunt was far from over yet.

The Doctor stumbled through the industrial estate, sticking to the back paths to avoid detection. She was pretty sure by this point she’d have stuck out far too much if she attempted to blend into any crowds. She leant her shoulder against the side of a building, furiously wiping away the blood that remained on her hands onto her trousers, ignoring the ache in her palms. They already looked a mess anyway, caring about them now was pointless. The sensation was awful; she was still forcing her body to recover much faster than usual, the energy seeping from her body, leaving her head pounding and freshly knitted skin to prickle and ache. She blinked hard, vision wavering as she pushed herself away from the wall and steadied herself. She drew in a deep shaky breath and continued onwards, fingers brushing against the building, just in case she needed support.

 _This place is a maze_ , she thought to herself as she carried on her way, eyes heavy-lidded and each breath a little more forced than she’d like to admit. But she’d been in mazes before, she could handle this. Probably. If her head was a little clearer, definitely. _No time for ‘ifs’ though_ , she thought back at herself, brow furrowing as the long path ahead seemed to stretch on for miles, walls warping around her. _Can’t wait for the stars to align to make the perfect escape, after all._

Oh, how she knew that to be true.

“Hey, you!” It was like a sudden injection of energy had been forced into her upon hearing a familiar male voice shout. Her shoulders hunched, eyes widened and hearts stuttering slightly in panic. Turning around slowly, she rested her back against the wall, turning her head the rest of the way to see the second sight of the day that had left her feeling like she’d just been punched in her already tender stomach.

Just like before, she knew the face well. She’d never forget the first time she saw it, the way he’d laughed as Barton’s plane was ripped apart, her fam’s lives almost cut short then and there. A dead man walking. But she’d never seen such wide-eyed concern on that face. The suspicion also there, however, was understandable, if her feelings were anything to go by.

He was already close before her brains could catch up, but she couldn’t ignore the way his eyes scanned her up and down from a few metres away. The Doctor couldn’t help but smile slightly, letting out a small snort of tired amusement. “I know what you’re thinking,” she said quietly. “Scan me. You’ll see.”

He did so immediately, pulling out his own sonic and checking the diagnostics. And then a second time. Didn’t seem like the chatty kind. How strange.

“You can’t be,” he finally said, gaze flitting between his sonic and the woman looking back at him tiredly. “That’s not possible.”

“Said the same thing when I met _her_ ,” the Doctor managed, attempting to stand freely of the wall, but settling not-so-casually resting her shoulder against it. The man’s eyes widened, a brief roar of thunder behind them before he reined it back.

“She’s nearby?” He looked behind him, as if the mere mention would summon her. “I followed some strange energy readings, but I had no idea _she_ was behind it.”

“Nothing to do with her.” She finally managed to stand on her own, as much as her body protested with exhaustion. “I just ran into her while searching for answers. Wasn’t an easy pill to swallow.”

“But how are you—?” He was cut short as the woman’s knees buckled suddenly, moving forward to keep her from falling. He shook his head. “Later. What happened? Did the Master do this to you?” Hearing him ask that in that voice was more than a little surreal, she would admit.

“Yeah. Messed me up a bit, I managed to accelerate the healing to get away—faster than I’ve managed before, but…” She scrunched her eyes shut as a wave of dizziness passed over her. “But I think I’ve just about drained myself for the next few hours. Bit of a catch-22.” She slumped further as he positioned her arm around his shoulder, his own arm around her waist and hoisted her properly to her feet.

“We should keep moving. I’ll take you to my TARDIS.”

“Yeah...TARDIS…” the Doctor mumbled hazily. “Sounds good.”

He placed her carefully on the floor at the base of the TARDIS console. She looked around as the details swam in and out of focus. It was a lot whiter than her own TARDIS, even if the lighting was bit gloomy, and a lot more simplified apart from the usual details on the console, she was sure. He seemed like a very straightforward, no nonsense kind of guy. None of the flourish she’d expect a man sharing _his_ face to have, all things considered.

Her eyes drifted closed as she hung her head, thinking of her own TARDIS. Where had it—

She was dragged from her thoughts as she felt fingers brush against her temple. Wincing away, she nearly crashed sideways, planting her hand firmly onto the floor to keep her balance. The man— _the Doctor_ , she had to admit by now—pulled his hand away. “My sonic detected remnants of a concussion,” he spoke with a slight stutter.” I’m sorry, I was—”

“S’fine,” she replied, wafting her hand lazily towards him. She fumbled into her pocket and pulled her own sonic out. His was a lot more…carefully designed? Not that she’d change hers for anything, but she hadn’t had the luxury of the TARDIS presenting her with a new sonic, back when she regenerated. She supposed this Doctor had. Scanning herself briefly, she gave herself a second opinion. “I’ll be all good.” She gave a sleepy smile and a thumbs up.

“The internal injuries have healed, I take it?” She blinked at the question.

“How did you—?” The man shook his head.

“The blood at the corner of your mouth. You’re not talking like you’ve bitten your tongue, so I would guess…” He poked at her stomach very lightly with his sonic. “...That your problem lay a little deeper.”

“Got me there, detective,” she said with a breathy laugh.

“Please, call me the—”

“The Doctor. I know.” She shrugs. “You _know_ I know.”

The ‘Alt-Doctor’—or would that be her, considering this isn’t her universe?—let out a breath through his nose and stood up. “Very well, _Doctor_.” He moved to the controls, adjusting a few switches here and there, each one with a satisfying clunk or click. “So if your arrival here was purely your own doing, where is your TARDIS? I can take you back to her—”

“She’s gone. Threw me out.” She sounded so defeated at the words. “Don’t know what even happened, one minute I was there, the next...nothing. I’m just...here.”

“I see.” He fell quiet again, returning to his tinkering.

“Aren’t you worried she’s going to find us?” she asks suddenly, craning her head to look at him.

“She won’t get in.”

“‘S’not her getting in I’m worried about,” she mumbles. “If she’s anything like the Master in my universe, a little detail like that won’t stop her.”

“And does your Master look like..?”

“Yeah. He did.”

The silence that descended over them was heavy, both getting lost in their thoughts. The Doctor’s musings were a lot more muddled than usual as her body worked past the exhaustion. Speeding up her healing so much was like borrowing energy from her future self—too bad it was always needed when she couldn’t afford to be tired.

“We could…” She thought out loud, shuffling her position to get comfortable, trying to ignore the twinges from her stomach. “We could swap some stories? Get a feel for what’s the same or not.”

“Maybe later.”

“Got time now, haven’t we?” She leant forward and crossed her legs, resting her hands on her knees and frowning at the blood smeared on her. She must’ve looked a right sight when he found her. Still did, really. She took the silence as a go-ahead. “So...any companions?” The brief freeze in his movements didn’t pass her by.

“Just one. Will.”

She makes a little ‘ahh’ in response. “Nice name. Is he around? Don’t want to scare him, all covered in blood like this.”

A brief moment passes. “No,” he replied, voice low. “He’s with his family.” He swallowed before clearing his throat. “And you?”

“Ryan, Graham and Yaz,” she replied, pride creeping into her voice. “But they’re back in their own universe.”

“Three?” he said disbelievingly. “Isn’t that a little much? Sounds more like a field trip.”

“Oh no, it’s brilliant,” she replied with a grin. “We split up, get _so_ much more covered. They’re all fantastic.” He let out a quiet ‘hmm’, still focused on the console. A few minutes passed in silence. She never got on with silence very well. Even the humming of the TARDIS did nothing. It wasn’t _her_ TARDIS, after all.

“A-ha!” The Alt-Doctor’s sudden exclamation had the Doctor jumping out of her skin, her lingering aches protesting from the sharp movement. “I do believe I’ve found your TARDIS.”

She sprang to her feet, grabbing hold of the console as the world shifted around her. Okay, she wasn’t as patched up as she’d hoped. Better, though. She’d give herself that. Looking over to the Alt-Doctor, the grin plastered on his face sent a chill down her spine. How could the same expression hold such a different meaning? She never really saw herself in action so the uncanniness of this universe’s Master’s expressions were somewhat lost to her, but this universe’s version of the Doctor? Oh no, she knew these expressions too well. Knew those eyes too well too. A man that shouldn't exist any more.

It was honestly a bit frightening.

She swallowed it down. It must be the same strange swarm of emotions for him, too.That and she had little choice but to trust him.

“So where is it?” she asked, collecting herself as his grin faded to something more serious.

“That’s the bad news.” He pointed at one of his screens, indicating a small flashing dot. “As you can see, we’ll have to go by foot. I can’t afford to get my TARDIS close.”

“But that’s…” She looked directly at him. “That can’t be.”

“But it is…” He stepped back, as if it would give him some grander picture. “Doctor...you’ve torn a whole in this universe...and your TARDIS stands right at the precipice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Doctor Who theme kicks in*
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!! Really hoping to continue this, I've got a few plans already, really excited to see where this goes!
> 
> ~For updates and fandom stuff, check out my [creative](http://doodlebless.tumblr.com) blog. Also on [twitter](https://twitter.com/angel_bless) too!~


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of conversation, we finally get an explanation and even more preparation!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got kinda long, but I couldn't bring myself to chop it up either. I tweaked a couple lines in the previous chapter to tie in better with this one too, because I finally placed when this fic's set! It's post-Timeless Children, so just a heads up for anyone who might not have seen that (really hope everyone has though. Good stuff).
> 
> Thanks so much everyone for reading so far, hope those of you who are continue to enjoy it! <3

“Doctor...you’ve torn a whole in this universe...and your TARDIS stands right at the precipice.”

The words shot through her as she stared wide-eyed at the screen, the rhythmic blipping of the dot calling to her, reaching out. The engines of his TARDIS whirred into life—and oh, it sounded so so _wrong_ —as it took off. The motion sent her hurtling to the ground, the only thing saving her from a full on collision with the ship’s floor being her hand gripping onto a pipe around the console, pulling her arm hard as it stopped her sudden descent. She hissed, cursing her legs for still being so wobbly, and her head for not dishing out commands to stay on her feet fast enough. It was only seconds later that they landed again, and the Doctor wondered if they were already there.

“I’ve landed us on the other side of the city. Not too far away from where we were, but hopefully enough so that we won’t be found.” She knew who he meant, and was thankful for the distance, but her hearts still thrummed with a longing to get to her TARDIS already, to return to her own universe, to her fam.

She hadn’t even intended to leave them for long, really. Some plans just never work out, do they?

“‘ _No’_? What do you mean, ‘no’?” the Doctor had huffed at her ship, pacing around the console and messing with the controls. The lighting dulled briefly with a quick flurry of beeps and she had responded with a pout. “We won’t even be gone long! I’ve already told you, this is important!”

The lights all but cut out entirely with an opposing tone and she took a step back, arms at her side and looking incredibly done with the entire situation. She drew in a deep breath, made an attempt to collect herself. “The fam don’t need to be here for this. I’ll pop back for them right after I’m done, I promise.”

The lights returned slowly, with a low hum. A dulled blue. She stepped forward again, stroking the console carefully. “They know I’m alive, isn’t that enough for now?” A quick whirring sounded. “I’ll tell them, I swear I will. I just need something _to_ tell them first.” She reopened her eyes and looked to the crystalline core, with hands kept firmly on the console, trembling fingers tracing the controls lovingly.

More whirring. A _definite_ whirring of disapproval. “There _has_ to be something out there to make sense of all this,” she pleaded. “I have to know.” A pause as she lowered her gaze to the console. “Do this for me, and I swear I’ll fix up that dodgy circuit you’ve been griping so much about.”

That, at least, seemed to do the trick. Her head snapped up again with a grin as the bright yellow hues returned, a soft trill echoing across the room.

“ _Brilliant._ ”

She slammed down the lever, the TARDIS springing to life as she braced herself. No specific coordinates this time; this was more of a search mission than any specific destination.

She followed the readings on her monitors like a hawk, hopeful that something would jump out at her. It wouldn’t be that easy by a long shot, but she could dream. Among the comforting din of the engines beneath her feet, her mind began to wander.

Gallifrey wasn’t her home, she wasn’t who she thought she was, after all this time. It shouldn’t bother her but…

It meant she had a home _somewhere_. One not destroyed by the Master. A home that wouldn’t mean she was the last of her kind. A home that might hold some answers.

She just had to find it.

The TARDIS shuddered and an alarm rang out, dragging her out of her head. She pulled the monitor to her face, eyes darting around to take in all the readings.

“This is big,” she breathed, eyes wide as she looked over to the TARDIS doors, a cascade of lights raining outside the windows. She darted around the console, flicking this and that—grabbing a sneaky custard cream on the way—and making adjustments. “This is _really_ big.” The TARDIS grunted and the Doctor felt like she was fighting against it for a moment. “We can make it, just gotta take it steady!”

‘Steady’ didn’t often come into her vocabulary though, sadly.

She couldn’t place the readings, it was some kind of energy she definitely wasn’t familiar with. Excitement prickled the hairs on the back of her neck as she marched onwards.

‘Home’ or not, this should be some fun.

The turbulence of the ship grew too strong—she crashed to the floor, hitting her shoulder hard, arm only just cushioning her head from a very rough impact. Letting out a groan, she grasped at the floor as she threatened to be tossed and turned, rising onto her elbows and reaching for some of the piping to hoist herself up again. The lights outside the TARDIS were flashing like a rave; it felt like the ship was ready to come apart at the seams.

Then suddenly, it stopped.

The stillness was almost as off-putting as the violent motion merely seconds before. She glanced around, confusion evident on her face. Until she felt something new. Something...pulling. Like an elastic band too taut, threatening to snap if it couldn’t relieve the tension. The feeling rang in her ears, pressing hard on her head. The TARDIS lurched sideways and she stumbled away from the console. Further and further it tipped.

“Wait, what are you—?”

The doors opened and with a jolt—she tumbled out onto hard concrete, barely able to collect herself before she saw her beloved TARDIS whir away with more haste than she’d ever seen before.

Okay then. Alone in...she sniffed the air, nose scrunching at the strange tang. It smelt about 2020, maybe...later 2020, going by the crisp autumn coolness of the air. But the location didn’t smell familiar. Not a good sign.

Right, time to work with what she _did_ know. The buildings looked to be factories of some kind. Quiet, though. Maybe abandoned. Chalky dust and chippings from various materials caked the small alley she’d found herself in, and she dusted her coat off subconsciously at the thought.

Okay. Industrial estate. A few months further forward than she left the fam. She could work with that. Hopefully. She’d just find someone and not-so-subtly get some answers. Good old fashioned straight forward detective work.

She just wasn’t expecting the first person she ran into to share her face.

“I’ve got some systems to recalibrate before we set off. You should get some rest.”

The Doctor was caught off guard by the Alt-Doctor’s suggestion. He’d been quiet for a while...or at least she thought he had. Her eyes had been dangerously heavy as she remained sat on the floor, losing track of how much time had passed.

She really must be tired if she’s losing track.

“Don’t really do naps, me,” she said casually, blinking hard a couple of times to try and get some focus back into her vision.

“I can tell. You’ve been fighting sleep for the past half hour.”

Half hour. Ah. Right.

He paces around to stand in front of her. “There’s a bedroom with some spare clothes in, fifth door on the left. Leave your clothes outside, I’ll wash them for you.” She stared at him blankly, unsure what to make of the offer. He merely stared back, waiting, before tilting his head and frowning in a ‘well get going then’ sort of motion. She huffed, finally relenting. Her neck was getting stiff anyway.

She shuffled awkwardly to get to her feet, halting only when she saw his hand reaching out to help pull her up. It was kind of embarrassing, but technically it was just another version of herself, so maybe it wasn’t not so bad to accept. She offered a sheepish thanks before shuffling off to the bedroom.

After a few minutes of fighting with her filthy clothes, she had changed into some cozy pajamas. They weren’t fancy by a long shot, but she didn’t much like the other clothing up for offer. Placing her clothes in a heap outside the door, her legs had automatically carried her to the immaculately made bed as she fell face first onto it. Shuffling sluggishly under the covers, she was out like a light before she knew it.

Images swirled and pulsed behind her eyelids as she slept; too intangible to decipher, but persistent nonetheless. Maybe she’d figure them out later. Maybe she’d…

Something rang in her head, something terrible. Like a grinding wail, piercing through the visions and shooting waves of pain through her head. Her eyes snapped open as she scrambled around, desperate to find the cause. Nothing.

She blinked sluggishly as it dissipated, looking around the room with renewed curiosity. She hadn’t realised how out of it she’d been, barely taking in any details before. It was a fairly bland room, a couple of ornaments from other planets on the chest of drawers, a mirror in the corner, the odd nail sticking out of the wall with no pictures hung upon them. Her clothes lay in a pile by the door, folded with as much care as the bedsheets had once been arranged in...she frowned. Said bedsheets were now tangled around her legs, an absolute mess compared to how they were before. She’d have to apologise later; there was so way she’d be able to neaten them properly.

She wandered back into the console room as she pulled her coat on, thankful she could now walk in a straight line again. The Alt-Doctor—as she was getting more than a little accustomed to referring him to in her head—remained standing at the monitors, just as when she’d left him. He glanced up briefly. Seeing that face look at her brought up an alarming concoction of thoughts and emotions. Judging by the look on his face, he was going through the same thing.

“You’re up earlier than I expected,” he said simply. The Doctor shrugged.

“Bit of a rude awakening.” She paced over to join him. “Did you kick off an alarm or something?”

“No…” he replied slowly. “Why?” She shrugged again in response.

“No reason. Bad dream, that’s all.”

He let out a small ‘ah’, in quiet understanding. “Feeling better?”

“Loads, thanks.” She stretched her arms high above her head. She wasn’t in a hurry to admit she was still shaking off the lingering effects of her little healing stunt, because in truth, even tired was better than how she felt before. She wondered how long she’d been out.

“Three hours, by the way.” Wow, he was _good_. It was three hours too long, though. She needed to get to her TARDIS. “And no, we’re not ready yet.” Okay, he really needed to stop doing that now, it was getting creepy. Not taking his eyes off the scrolling information before him, he nodded at it in quiet contemplation.

“So when _will_ we be ready?” she asked, as patiently as she could. Her foot tapping ever so slightly gave her away though.

“The area surrounding the tear is a highly volatile space,” he explained, although it seemed superfluous considering she was now reading over his shoulder, understanding the data the same as he did. “More so than I initially thought. The atmosphere has the strength to corrode organic matter—being there for more than even a half hour—“

“Would rip us to shreds…” the Doctor finished, voice quiet. Blood drained from her face as she continued to study the information. She rubbed her temples and paced. She needed a plan.

“Extend the TARDIS shields?” He shook his head.

“Already had to cut auxiliary power and reroute it so the TARDIS can survive the environment, should it come to that.”

Right. Of course. She paced again.

“Tech!” she said suddenly. “What tech have you got? Something like a neural balancer, but more...physical?” There were some tough terrains out there, surely technology like that should—

“Fifteenth door on the right.” She blinked at the sudden response. “Take what you need.”

The room was a treasure trove of alien technology; surely something here had to be of some use. There was a lot of broken, yet salvageable, tech, some of it the likes she’d never seen before. From a little of what she _did_ recognise, there was a device that looked similar to a Thijarian teleporter—but with a much different taste, she found out very quickly—a Sontaran laser rifle that smelt strangely like vinegar, and a Dalek plunger that was annoyingly one of the few things that _did_ have the same awful vibe as it did in her universe… It was a lot to work through, so many different stimuli hitting her at once. She never truly realised how _messy_ alternate realities could be.

She reentered the main room dragging in an obscene amount of scrap pieces, cables and other things slung over her shoulders, piled up in her arms and kicked onward by her feet as she walked. She _definitely_ didn’t miss the flash of irritation on the Alt-Doctor’s face. He was clearly the clean and tidy type, and she was..? Well, ‘odd couple’ didn’t even begin to cover it.

“I hope you have a plan for all of that,” he said, purposely averting his gaze from the absolute mess that littered the plain off-white floor. She responded with a nervous grin.

“Hopefully!” She was a little breathless after wrestling with it all. Within seconds, she plonked herself on the floor, scrabbling away and tinkering with everything within her reach, tongue stuck out as she focused. Silence descended as they both worked on their preparations. An air of unease hung between them; it sat at the back of the Doctor’s mind the entire time she worked. There were so many questions she had, so many questions _she_ needed to answer. Or maybe he already knew the answers? How much of their lives were the same? Companions were different, it seemed, and she knew how much one change could affect the course of pretty much everything else.

She bit into another jammie dodger. It was no custard cream, but they were the only biscuits available, and she did love a good biccy. She had a small pile hoarded next to her, partially hidden by some cable. He’d never said there was a limit, but she may have taken his offer a little too far...

Swallowing the rest of it, her mind drifted back to her TARDIS. If her hypothesis was correct, then her precious ship was pulled back to the rift she’d accidentally caused, unable to resist its pull. Which meant the TARDIS had propelled itself as far away as it could to throw her free of such a dangerous landscape before being dragged back.

Oh, she _was_ a clever girl.

A very clever, very foolish girl who was _very much_ in danger.

A sound whirred in the back of her head, a sense of urgency rushing through her like panic as her hearts sped up.

_Bzzt—_

A yelp escaped her as two wires accidentally touched, setting off sparks. She shook her head, scrunching her eyes shut in annoyance. She was letting herself get distracted. Not good.

Closing her eyes wasn’t a good idea either, it turned out. Images swam in her blackened vision, forming what looked like a landscape before splitting into unintelligible splotches once more. It was just like when she slept. A terrible feeling crept into the pit of her stomach, but she yearned to see more, to know what it meant. She nudged more of herself into it, desperate to decipher it.

“...sidered this, perhaps?”

Her eyes snapped open as she blinked fast, breath catching in her throat, head darting around to find the cause of the interruption. Alt—she’d just call him Alt, so much easier—was knelt next to her, a broken pistol held carefully in the palm of his hand.

“I...what?” she said, a tremble in her voice.

“I see. So you _were_ ignoring me.” There wasn’t any anger in his voice; he spoke it as a deadpan matter of fact and nothing more. Perhaps there was a little resignation in there, but she was feeling too spacey to latch onto it properly.

“Sorry, I was just…” She was _what_ , exactly?

“Never mind.” He held out the gun in his hand, pointing to the side of it. “Marorian weaponry contains systems to preserve its functional integrity in any hostile climate. Heat, cold, pressure, EMPs, you name it.” The Doctor plucked the weapon from his hand, studying it with wide-eyed curiosity.

“If we link it up to the organic supports from that Libaaran armour, plus those _teeny tiny_ fuel cells from the Thijarian teleporters, we might have a shot!”

“Shall I leave you to it again?” he asked with an amused smile. She hadn’t seen him smiling much; as weird as it was watching the face of her now-gone ‘best enemy’ smiling like that, it definitely eased some of the lingering tension she felt.

At least she got to see a kinder version of this face this time. It was a little bit of a consolation.

He got to his feet and continued making adjustments to prepare the TARDIS. The Doctor watched him for a moment—he was taking so much care with it, she didn’t know how he wasn’t bored already.

Regeneration really _was_ a lottery.

“So since we’re both here,” he began, flipping a few switches, the crisp clicks echoing about the chamber. “I believe it’s time you told me _why_ you decided to rip a hole in my universe.”

Ah.

“Well, about that,” she said nervously, fidgeting some particularly tricky wires into a small flat device to keep her fingers busy. “I was searching for home.”

His response would seal how much this Doctor knew. There was silence at first.

“The Timeless Child…” he said quietly. A small emotionless ‘heh’ escaped her lips.

“Yep.” She wasn’t ready to press for details about how or when he knew; she was barely ready to confront those facts herself. “So, you _did_ know about all that. About who ‘the Doctor’ really is.” She sighed. “I needed answers, and instead I found this place.”

“And what will you do when you find them?” The question hung heavy over both of them.

“Don’t know.” Her gaze was locked with the small devices she had rested on her crossed legs, tiny LEDs blinking sluggishly back at her. “But I don’t like all this not knowing business. Rubs me the wrong way. A little bit of not knowing? That’s fine, but whole _lifetimes_ of not knowing?! I—” She froze, feeling his gaze boring through the back of her head. “And I’m rambling again. Sorry.” She pulls her mouth into a sheepish expression, suddenly unusually conscious about her ability to rabbit on and on about pretty much anything.

“I must say, you’re very much an opposite to the Master, considering you have the same face.” She twisted around to get a better look at him as he regarded her carefully. Her brows pinched in thought.

“Can’t quite say the same for you, though,” she replied, shuffling through some of the mess to see him around the console. Long subtly patterned jacket and matching trousers; he wore a tie though. That was different. “You’re different, yeah, but...not _quite_ opposite. Even your fashion’s a bit similar.” She looked him up and down, before pointing towards his feet. “Least you’ve for trousers that go down to your ankles, though.”

“Unlike yours,” he commented. Sat as she was, they rode even higher up her legs than normal, cuffs brushing her knees. “The Master wouldn’t be seen _dead_ in those.”

“Her loss,” the Doctor replied with an indignant shrug. “Running around in heels like that— she’s not one for practicality, I take it?”

“Not always,” Alt sighs. “But her more… _flashy_ choices are only because she’s so perfectly honed herself that they won’t hinder her in the slightest.”

“Practical _and_ a show-off,” the Doctor said with a huff. “A right match made in hell.” He fell silent again as one of the devices she’d been working on beeped. “Ah!” She grinned as she split the tiny tech into two halves, placing each one on either side of her head, and another device split to go around her wrists. “So?” she asked, standing up with a particularly dorky grin, wires and screws falling off her lap and clattering to the ground. “What do you think?”

“ _They’re_ going to keep us from disintegrating at the tear?”

He was met with an excited nod, grin still plastered on her face.

“Oh _absolutely._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really starting to enjoy writing these two together :D And I wasn't even that awful to Thirteen in this chapter either! It's a miracle!
> 
> (Did they both come from different universes/worlds to each other? The same universe/world but got split between alternate dimensions? Who knows but it’s a thing now!)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always appreciated if you enjoyed it! <3
> 
> ~For updates and fandom stuff, check out my [creative](http://doodlebless.tumblr.com) blog. Also on [twitter](https://twitter.com/angel_bless) too!~


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things aren't boding well, even before the two Doctors step out of the TARDIS.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go again! Honestly blown away by the comments on the last chapter, each and every one of them is so so appreciated! <3
> 
> Hope you all enjoy this chapter too! :D

“Okay...that should be secure,” the Doctor said with a smile, pulling out her sonic and giving the devices on Alt a quick calibration. They let out a quick succession of beeps, a brief flash of aura around him came and disappeared just as quickly to confirm its success, and did the same as she finished setting her own gear up.

“Your sonic is...still quite baffling to look at,” Alt said, carefully regarding it as she moved to pop it into her inner coat pocket once more. “How in the universe did it come to be like _that_?” She halted, joining in on gazing at it, lips pursed in thought.

“Oh, well, it started when I got flung from my TARDIS right after regenerating,” she began casually, as if that was the most natural thing in the world. “Lost my sonic on the way down, so I made a new one with some good old Sheffield steel and a bit of alien tech.” She smiled proudly at it; it had served her so very well so far.

“Do you...get thrown out of your TARDIS often, then?” he asked curiously, eyebrow raised.

“Seems to be a recurring theme lately,” she muttered, before shrugging, nose scrunching and lip curling. “Guess I’m just unlucky.”

“Hopefully not unlucky enough that these don’t work.” He tapped at one of the metal pieces on the side of his head, flinching his hand away at the slight spark as it and the wristband fell into close proximity.

“Won’t be a problem!” She headed over to the console, reading the monitors. “...Probably. So, where are we headed? Where’s this tear?” Alt let out an almost amused snort.

“Ironically enough, it’s located within Death Valley.”

“California?” she said, stunned. “Wait, where did you find me again?” She’d never even thought to ask after everything that had happened today.

“Birmingham.”

Sure didn’t smell like the Birmingham she knew by a long shot. Her nose twitched, but she ignored the thought.

“So she sent me all that way…” Her voice was a whisper, staring endlessly at the tracker dot on the screen. Was it blinking slower, or..?

“Perhaps sensed the presence of another Timelord,” Alt pitched in. “Someone who could help.”

“Well she was half right,” the Doctor replied, unamused. She pinched her brows, something was pressing against the back of her head, hitting her like a dull wave, just enough to make its presence known. The vision of a barren landscape trickled into her mind, and a rush of urgency rushed through her. She dragged in a deep breath through her nose, closing her eyes and almost snapping them open again immediately when the landscape became clearer. But she couldn’t.

“...Doctor?”

It was a deep red, bordering on purple in hue yet swirling with a multitude of other colours, the sky a thunderous calamity full of electricity flowing through the clouds like blood through veins. Her hearts raced; she felt something on her shoulder as the ache in her head reached its peak.

“Doctor!”

Her eyes flew open, the images gone, ache receding to a dull throb as Alt stood before her, hands on her shoulders, eyes wide and desperate. For a moment, she lost the ability to speak.

“What was that? What happened?” he asked hurriedly, keeping his grip on her firm. It was weirdly grounding, she thought dully as the world swayed around her.

“I...there was...landscape…” Words weren’t coming together easily. She blinked a few times to be rid of the images, of the _feelings_ they invoked, running a hand through her hair.

“We need to get you back to your universe, _fast._ ” He moved over to the lever. “Everything’s ready.” He gave the Doctor a long look, as if asking if she was ready too. It was the first time she realised the lighting had dulled—rerouting the power to the shields must have taken a lot out of the systems.

She offered a nod that must have looked weaker in resolve than she’d intended. He took it as go ahead either way, and she was very thankful for that.

The TARDIS juddered to a sudden halt, which wouldn’t have seemed so strange for the Doctor—she was used to rough landings—except Alt had a strange look on his face as he paced around the console, switches and buttons pressed here and there. After a long few seconds, he stopped and let out a sigh.

“We can’t get any closer,” he announced.

“And how close _are_ we?” the Doctor asked tentatively.

“Just outside the area affected by the tear.” He ran a hand through his hair in thought. “Which was my plan anyway, but…”

“It’s growing.” The words sat cold on her tongue. She racked her brain for an explanation to how there could be such a violent reaction, but her head was muddy, still reeling from the strange vision that overtook her. She shook her head free of the lingering thoughts at the sound of the TARDIS doors opening. Alt stood patiently, waiting for her to follow in silence. Behind him, past the heat that poured its way into the room, past the expanse that lay all around them, she could see the edges of something _awful_. As she stepped closer, the scenery opened up to reveal something like a bubble, convulsing and throbbing like an enormous blister. She felt sick to her stomach, skin prickling in unease.

She stepped out, sweat forming on her brow immediately. “Your TARDIS…” she began, not even trying to hide the waver in her voice as she looked over to it. “Will she be okay?”

“She cannot enter, but should it expand, she won’t be harmed. The shields will see to that.” He gave small quirk of his lip as he patted the TARDIS fondly; she took it as reassurance. He moved his hand away and held it out to her, looking her deep in the eye. “Ready?”

She let out a breath, trying to expel the nervous energy that had pent up within her. This wasn’t like her, even after what the Master— _her Master_ —had done, she’d never felt quite like this.

Without a word, she took his hand, and they entered the bubble together.

“It can’t be…” the Doctor whispered, taking in the sights around her. It had been so hot and bleak on the outside, an unsettling lack of wildlife to be found, but here…

It was as if a huge section of the land had turned into some kind of twisted nightmare version—a nightmare that looked exactly like her earlier vision. A multitude of colours flashing through the sky, like those outside her TARDIS’ windows as they’d found their way to this universe, lightning crackling through the sky, the scenery foreboding and so much colder than it should be, the intense feeling of _wrongness_ that ground at her stomach. There was a nudge against her shoulder and she let out a small gasp, as if she’d forgotten to breathe.

“We head for the centre,” Alt said, voice low and expression focused ahead. The hand that still held hers tightened its grip.

It was a quiet few minutes, only the low rumble and crackling above to keep them company. He didn’t let go of her hand the entire time, even as the ground shuddered beneath their feet. It felt like a warning. The Doctor stumbled at one such quake, boot catching a stray piece of jagged rock as she attempted to balance herself, almost tumbling to the ground. She kept her feet planted firmly as the intensity only increased. Something about this wasn’t right—even more not right than she’d previously thought.

The skull-splitting pain that barrelled its way into her forced the air from her lungs, left her doubling over, draining the energy from her body. She saw the the landscape again behind her closed eyes— _wait, she’d closed them?_ —different than the scenery that lay before her. A lot more ragged, pulsing... _alive_ . Something whimpered, then _screamed_ , harsh and mechanical, filling her ears, swallowing her thoughts, leaving her with little else to do but suck in tiny gasps of air through gritted teeth. She felt something around her shoulders and clung to the feeling for dear life. Her hearts stuttered, struggling to keep their rhythm.

It was all she could do to bear through it, until at long last, it ebbed away.

Her eyelids were heavy, but she forced them open regardless. She was on the ground, Alt’s arms around her shoulders—just as she had felt—steadying her, securing her. He’d pulled her closer, she could feel his hand soothingly rubbing up and down her arm, giving her something to focus on.

“Di…” she tried to speak, swallowing hard against the bile that rose up her throat. “...The device...it’s not—” She hated how quiet she was, how much she sounded like she was about to drift away. So _feeble_. He shook his head.

“It’s working, I assure you.” He removed a hand to pull out his sonic and aimed it at her. A light shimmer appeared around her body as it did before. “This is something else entirely.”

“Oh. _Lucky me_.” She tried to flash him a cheeky smirk but failed miserably. She knew he could feel the tremor running through her; she wasn’t fooling anyone.

“Can you stand?” His voice was gentle, it reminded her of O...before everything went to hell and he revealed his true colours. She _really_ didn’t need to be thinking about that whole mess again, though. Especially right now.

“I think so.” She moved away awkwardly, grasping for a rock that very conveniently jutted out of the ground next to her...funny, there hadn’t been one there before. She didn’t recall, anyway. Again with all these thoughts, she really needed them to stop for a moment. A hand hooked under her armpit and helped her up, and she finally took a look at her surroundings again.

Everything was different.

Well, not _everything_ , but a lot of things. Rock outcrops where there weren’t any before, cracks and chasms littering the landscape, pillars of sand that rained loose remnants upon the ground. How was this possible?

“Whatever caused that quake, not only did it affect you, it greatly affected the area around us, too.” His hand stayed around the Doctor’s upper arm as he mused. She thought—she was never usually this ‘okay’ with contact. Was it because it’s technically her? Him? _Who cares at this point_ , she thought with annoyance. “Whatever it’s attempting to do to fix the tear, it’s very much connected to both you _and_ your TARDIS, I’m sure.”

“That...makes sense,” she said breathlessly, still finding her feet on the altered terrain. She determined that to be the cause. Nothing to do with that wave of agony that assaulted her still leaving her shaky.

Together they trudged on, an air of dread hanging over them at whether there would be a repeat performance.

“Any sign of it?”

The Doctor was exhausted, and she was sure that was never something she’d feel in this body. Well, except for her time in the Matrix, when the truth was revealed, when the Master died and she almost followed suit, when it led her here—

She was doing it again. _Naughty Doctor_ , she thought. _Stop it_.

“I believe…” Alt pointed to a part of the horizon revealed by moving past some very annoyingly persistent rock formations. “We have a very useful marker for it, now.”

She stared, eyes wide at the sight. He’d referred to it as a tear, and he wasn’t wrong. It was like some hideous gape in the sky, the swirling cosmos of the time vortex through it, a migraine of colours around the edges, bleeding out into the world around them as it rippled like water. Alt took a few tentative steps forward, head tilted in curiosity as he studied it from afar.

“It’s like a wound…” she muttered, transfixed by the abhorrently hypnotic nature of it. It was a sight to behold, but _so_ very wrong. She distractedly gripped at the material of her shirt, sickness welling up within her anew.

Her TARDIS was there. Her TARDIS was—

A cacophony of screeching invaded her senses again before the ground could even shake. She let out a sudden sharp cry, clutching at her head as the environment around them began to warp once more.

“Doctor!” Alt cried, spinning on his heels to return to her side. The ground shook too hard—his footing was lost. Rocks rose from the ground between them, pressure causing the ground to split, both sides repelled instantly from each other. He scrabbled to his feet, eyes darting around for a quick solution, only to find—with horror—there wasn’t one. Before he’d even had a chance, the fissure was much too far to jump, too wide to simply walk around.

They were both on their own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rule number 1 of being me: if I have a fave character, they will suffer. It's just a fact of life xD It sure is fun to write though :D
> 
> As always, thanks so much for reading! <3
> 
> ~For updates and fandom stuff, check out my [creative](http://doodlebless.tumblr.com) blog. Also on [twitter](https://twitter.com/angel_bless) too!~


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things going smoothly? In my fanfic? It's less likely than you think

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok SO. Had a bit of a break between posting because some of this chapter was actually the final part I wrote. That's right, the fic's done! I just need to proofread the rest and I'll upload it asap. I get the feeling I'll need to after this one xD
> 
> As always, hope you enjoy! <3 Going to be adding new tags with each chapter so remember to keep an eye out!

She was burning.

Everything was smashing into her at once—too many sensations and spiking through her to even try to comprehend it all. She couldn’t hear over the din in her ears, couldn’t see for the vision that clouded her sight, couldn’t think over the pain and crushing fear that she was being corroded away to dust.

That she was going to _die_.

She didn’t know how long it had lasted for—any amount of time with this feeling was far too long—but finally, slowly, once it had reached fever pitch, it had steadily settled again, and her hands let go of her hair she’d been furiously pulling at in a desperate attempt at grounding relief. The ache of her roots being yanked so roughly was real enough though—a pain she’d at least been the cause of. As she finally drew in her first deep breath in what felt like so long, she opened her eyes a peek, realising she was lay on the ground. Patting herself down, she let out a shaky disbelieving breath as she found she was indeed somehow still in one piece. Planting her hands into the dirt, she hauled herself onto her knees with some reluctance, wincing at the ache in one of her knees as she moved. Must’ve landed hard on it.

She looked around slowly, as the world fizzed around her. Rocks had lurched from the ground, and those that had broken down revealed a chasm beyond them.

“Doctor?” she said hesitantly, voice cracking.

Wisps formed in the air from the corner of her eye, dark and cold. Cold...when had it warmed up? She hadn’t realised. The strange shapes vanished and she shook her head, trying to ignore the panic settling in.

“Doctor!”

Was this how her companions felt whenever they called for her? With dread gnawing away in their stomachs, very much longing not to be alone. She closed her eyes, desperately trying to form contact. No response. Her head was too foggy to reach out or latch onto anything.

Using the rocks to pull herself up, she hobbled over to a gap in the rock wall, hearts sinking as she found no sign of Alt—of the Doctor.

She pulled in as deep a breath as she could muster, double checking her tech was all in place. She wasn’t going to disintegrate at least, even if it had felt like it. That was one tiny sliver of silver lining among a sky full of storm clouds.

“Right,” she said quietly to herself. “Off I pop, then.”

She couldn’t see the tear as she made her way onward, but she could _feel_ it. A sure presence that called to her, pulling her towards it, tight in her chest like a coiled spring. She knew it was her TARDIS’ doing, reaching out to her, and yet her beloved ship felt so very far away. As she continued to stumble across the wastelands, she began to muse to herself aloud.

“Maybe it’s...maybe it’s a telepathic field of some kind?” Talking usually helped collect her thoughts, and she very much needed that right now. “Would line up with the pulses attacking my head and sending it into a wobble. Although...” She scrunched her nose in distaste. “I’d call that more of a _mega_ -wobble. Whatever it is, it’s some nasty stuff.” She began to count off points she’d made on her fingers. “So it doesn’t affect the other Doctor, which means...that it’s probably only going to affect me, and as we know, I most _definitely_ do not belong here.” Her eyes widened. “And neither does the TARDIS.” She felt like she was making progress, although she wasn’t sure what it all meant yet. Still, better than nothing! “Me and the TARDIS, both telepathic, being attacked by these waves. I get why, but... _why_?” She shook her head. That didn’t make sense. Unless it did.

A low rumble sounded and she froze, heartbeats quickening. Another pulse and there was still no sign of Alt—not good. Nothing for it though, she’d just have to make do. More wisps formed, mocking her from her peripheral vision as she stumbled across the shaking ground, holding onto a protrusion of rock for support.

She’d had worse, she was happy to say. Not so happy that it still ripped through her, spiking at her head as it forced its way into her brains. Words bubbled at her mouth, but no more than choked sounds managed to escape, her hearts pounding hard against her ribs as a startling wave of grief washed over her. She held onto the rock tighter as her knees buckled, tears pricking at her eyes as she scrunched them even tighter. The ragged landscape assaulted her blackened vision once more, cracking and warping around her. As it finally died down, she let her head rest against the warm rock, eyes blearily opening to take in the details as her vision swam back into focus. Oh, how she hoped her legs taking her weight barely a minute afterwards was a sign that she was weathering the pulses better.

_Or that pulse was the calm before the storm._

“Thanks for the optimism…” she mumbled sarcastically back to herself. She took in the new surroundings. Once again, things had shifted. The tear was now fully visible; it took everything in her not to run straight for it. She had to be careful, as much as her mind was screaming otherwise. “Pulses every…” She counted off the seconds and minutes in her head, frown deepening as she found it harder to keep track. “21 minutes, 17 seconds—no wait, 24 minutes, 35 seconds— _no_ —” She shook her head hard, stumbling as her head throbbed. How had she not been keeping track? She always kept track! She kept track of time even when she didn’t _want_ to! She ran her hands through her hair, letting out a growl of frustration.

“My my, love, you seem to be having some difficulties.”

That voice. That voice that teetered on uncannily familiar, and yet oh so different. Any thought she was attempting to catch hold of vanished from her grip as she lowered her hands from her head slowly. She dreaded turning around, knowing what she’d see, and yet…

Keeping her back turned was a far worse prospect.

So she faced her. Faced the Master of this universe. Wavier hair, a steelier look in her eye, and a grin that held nothing positive, only the hope of an endless cascade of worlds on fire by her own hands.

She should have known they’d cross paths again.

The Master opened her arms wide, cane in one hand and a device clasped around her neck. A shield of some kind.

_Stay on guard._

“Come on now, dear, no need to be like that.” As she stepped forward, the Doctor resisted her reflex to step back. The side of her head was still sore from their previous meeting. The lingering exhaustion that mingled with the attacks from this land was also a horrid reminder of what had transpired. The Master’s face softened, it was a strange sight—but it was her face, so _was_ it really that strange to see? “I just want to talk.”

The Doctor stood that little bit straighter, face that little bit more hardened. “About this place?” She held nothing in her tone of voice that would imply weakness. “Because I have some theories.” The Master shook her head, tutting.

“That’s hardly the important matter here, pet.” The look she gave was hard to decipher, but it set the Doctor’s nerves on edge.

“Then what is?”

“Oh, and you were getting along so well…” The wistful tone in the Master’s voice only added to the chill that swept through her, making her shiver against the heat that continued to bubble in this strange place. The Doctor clenched her fists, willing the tremor running through her body to subside.

“What do you mean?” She spoke each word deliberately, before looking around her. The shuddering running through her...it wasn’t just her body. The ground began to shake once more. It was too soon! “No, no no no—” A panicked whisper escaped her as those strange black wisps morphed between more coherent shapes before her eyes. From humanoid, to reptilian winged creatures, to simple cloud shapes. She managed a look through the dark forms circling her and wondered for barely a split second if the Master could see them too. The way she approached, either she couldn’t, or she didn’t care.

The quake hit its peak as the figures crashed into her head, pummeling her as her vision reduced to nothing, save for that same old wasteland.

“Come on now, love. Focus on me.”

Hands cupped her cheeks, tilting her head upwards. The mere movement sent pain spiking through her head, furiously sat behind her eyes and around her skull like a vice.

“Nn...”

“Quickly now, my sweet. There are things you must hear.” Her voice was soft, like a gentle caress. It wasn’t possible for her to sound so gentle, was it? But it was _her_ voice, so surely… It was getting hard to know anymore. The hands moved higher, to her temples.

“Wha…?”

The screeching that assaulted her ears lessened as the voice—the touch—became the only thing she could hold onto, the only thing that was real.

“Now, listen to me closely. This is important.”

Low rumbling from above. The dirt against her below, so solid, so scratchy. It came back to her, bit by bit, as her eyes cracked open a small amount. “M...my thie…” she half-murmured, unsure why. It was like she was at the edge of a dream. Her body felt like a dead weight as she made a poor attempt to shuffle into a position to push herself off the ground.

_Okay, start small. Fingers. They’re wiggling, that’s good. So are the feet. Double good. Legs? Bit fuzzy, but not impossible to work with. Shoulders are a bit stiff, but that’s fine. Head? ...I’ll come back to that one later._ She winced away from her internal monologuing at the dull pressure still so adamantly settled. “Right, big moment,” she mumbled, cheek still smushed against the ground. She planted her hand firmly and pushed, forcing her body into a better position for her other hand to help with the rest. “No one to help you up. All alone. All alone in the middle of a wasteland that’s trying to kill you.” She rose to her feet, dread prickling at her skin. The word ‘alone’ struck a funny chord with her, but she couldn’t quite place it. Had she not been alone? She wasn’t sure, she only remembered the pulse. “This...isn’t fine. But it will be.” Her voice was quiet, as if she barely believed the words she spoke. “I hope.” Not that she had a choice, though. If she didn’t believe herself, then quite frankly, she was doomed.

And she has been doomed more than enough lately. Quite frankly, it was getting a bit old hat.

She should buy a hat after this is all over. _A celebration hat._

_Not the time for that_ , she mentally chastised herself, taking a few tentative steps forward. Her balance seemed fine thankfully, she just needed to keep following that telepathic pull that guided her towards the TARDIS.

She just had to focus on that, instead of the awful ‘wrong’ feeling that sat at the back of her head. Why did she feel like she wasn’t alone? It was those wisps, it had to be. “Physical manifestations of those pulses, not so much getting stronger with each wave, but taking on an increasingly material form instead. Like my brain’s resonating with this pace. Makes just about enough sense,” she added with a shrug.

About as much sense as anything else in this place, at least.

Another lighter pulse had hit, and she was increasingly thankful it wasn’t intent on attacking her physically. It all all psychologically induced. Nothing more than a bit of mind over matter needed. She could deal with it, as long as she kept walking. She’d prefer to run, but her preferences were clearly being ignored by this place. She rubbed a hand over the back of her neck, frowning at the sheen of sweat that had formed, making her hair gross and clammy. How this place had become so warm, she’d never know. It almost made her contemplate taking her coat off. _Almost_.

“Must’ve got my timings wrong,” she mumbled, crawling haphazardly over an outcrop of inconveniently placed boulders. “Thought these quakes were not so...all over the place.” It had been an oddly long time since one had happened, and the feeling left her in a state of unease. She should have been at least a little bit happy about it, but…

The strange creatures were still following her, she could feel them. Swirling on the warm breeze, only briefly taking form, like a reminder. Soon… Soon they’ll—

“Doctor!”

Her head snapped up in surprise at the sudden voice. Eyes widened at the figure scrabbling over with graceless urgency. She chanced a run, hoping her momentum would keep her from falling.

It almost worked.

She collided with the floor in an undignified heap, rolling onto her back as she heard Alt’s footsteps approach and finally stop beside her. Looking up at his face, she couldn’t help it.

She laughed.

Was it joy from seeing him again? The absurdity of the situation? Or had the constant mental assaults finally made her lose her grip? It didn’t matter, because Alt laughed too. Small, and bringing up a tinge of unwelcome recognition within her—of what that laugh meant not even that long ago—but it was fine, this entire scenario was ridiculous anyway.

He held a hand out to her and she gratefully took it, stumbling again as she rose to her feet. She caught him glancing at the devices she wore. “They’re all fine,” she said, still a tad out of breath.

“When more quakes hit, I feared—” He halted, shaking his head. “Doesn’t matter. How are you holding up?”

She shrugged. “Could be worse. Wish that wasn’t true, since it’s already not great, but it is what it is, I suppose.” She shrugged again, as if that would emphasise whatever point she was making. She wasn’t sure by this point, making sense seemed lower on her priority list when her brains were periodically being turned into the mental equivalent of soup. “So then, shall we?”

“ _And_ there’s these non-corporeal beings that are _really_ interested in me. I think they’re linked to the telepathic pulses, maybe only visible through exposure. Guessing you can’t see them, though. Must sound a bit weird.” She was in the middle of listing off everything she could remember theorising during her lone travels when the ground began to rumble. She cast a quick look at Alt, then over to the tear, where the shape of her beloved blue box was very definite, but still so far away. How much more of this would she have to deal with before they reunited?

It was like a punch to both sides of her head at once, slamming down hard and sending her crashing down before she’d even realised the black figures had taken form.

Screeching. Mechanical wailing once more. Tears formed and soon streamed down her face as the same old scene pulsed in her head, anguish pouring through her, too heavy, too much.

But then it stopped.

She still couldn’t move, couldn’t open her eyes. Her head still pounded like it was in a vice, but the overwhelming sounds, the onslaught of feelings— _gone_.

_‘Now, listen to me closely. This is important.’_

The Master? But how—

_‘The man you’ve been travelling with—the Doctor—he’s not who you think he is.’_

Visions flitted of the Master approaching.

_‘He is not he Doctor from this universe. We met some time ago and formed an alliance.’_

_‘One Master to another.’_

No…

_‘The Doctor of my universe is_ long _gone, love. Your_ old friend _saw to that.’_

What little concept of time there was stood still as words attacked her like a barrage.

_‘He’s been here a long time, pet, those silly little pulses won’t do a thing to him now.’_

_‘He’s going to betray me.’_

_‘He couldn’t_ wait _to show his true colours. Quite the showman, your Master.’_

_‘But I won’t give him that satisfaction.’_

**_‘Trust me.’_ **

The words reverberated in her skull, taking control over any other thought as images forced their way into her mind, seemingly from this universe’s Master’s own eyes. The two of them meeting, plotting guardedly, readying for the Doctor’s arrival, that he might deceive her.

Had she truly been such a fool?

Her eyes snapped open as she scrambled off the ground, only managing to make it to her knees before she locked eyes with an alarmingly worried set of eyes barely a metre away from her. She jolted away, getting to her feet and taking a step back.

“Doctor? What’s wrong?” The man she had mentally referred to as ‘Alt’ spoke with such concern it twisted her stomach. The Master had fooled her once as O, and now…

She shook her head, eyes wide and alarmingly weary, as if seeing him for the first time.

“When were you going to tell me?” she asked quietly. He met her question with a look of confusion. “When we got to my TARDIS? When you _turned_ on each other?” She grit her teeth, scowling.

“I-I don’t understand—”

“I know it’s you, _Master_. Stop playing games.”

_‘When does it all end?’_

_‘Why would it stop?’_

Memories of her encounters spurred her on. He stood silent, but there was something in his expression that said something deeper.

“ _Gotcha,_ ” she said, bleak triumph in her voice.

He raised his hands, as if addressing a frightened animal. “I don’t know what happened while you were alone, but you need to listen to me.”

“Not a chance.” She backed up again. “I never even scanned you—back there in the alley. I just _accepted_ it.” Too many times she’d been tricked by others, lured in by smarts, because she just _had_ to trust so easily.

“Then scan me, Doctor.” He held his arms to his side and waited.

It felt like a trap. She pulled her sonic out and panned it over him, eyes flitting over the information.

It was garbled, completely unintelligible. She shook her head and tried again, before snapping her head up to look at him once more. “How are you doing this?”

“I’m not,” he said firmly. “This world is having a far worse adverse affect on you than we’d assumed.” He drew in a breath. “Show me. I _need_ to see what happened to you.”

He stepped forward, closing the gap between them instantly.

“Get away from me,” she warned, voice trembling. He grabbed her wrist before she could pull away, bringing his other hand up to her temple.

It all fed back into him for the single instant he was connected. Pain, confusion, fear, anger, betrayal, all slamming into him at once, accompanied by a horrific screeching. He saw the Master, saw illusions conjured from what looked to be the Doctor’s own memories.

Drawing his hand away and letting go, he gasped for air from the sudden rush. The feelings were soon gone, except for fear.

It had felt like her mind was breaking down.

“Doctor,” he said breathlessly. “ _Please_ , she’s trying to turn us against each other.” Every word slid off her as her unwavering cold expression remained firmly on him.

“Not up for a bit of backstabbing today?” she sniped back. “So where did you pull ‘Will’ from, then? Was he this Doctor’s companion before you took his place? Or was he just made up so I’d let my guard down?” His expression grew dark; she felt like she’d got him on the ropes. “How many more will have to suffer before you _stay dead_.” Her voice was measured, a storm greater than the one raging over their heads building up within her. He began to move forward, and without hesitation she pointed her sonic at him, activating it. The devices on his head and wrists sparked and his shield fell. “Destroy each other. Do both universes a favour.”

She took a few steps back, then turned and ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *laughs nervously*
> 
> New chapter soon. Honest. Just hoping there's not too much I gotta tweak.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading! <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thirteen has a Bad Time(TM)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go again! Got hit by a burst of inspiration today, which is why so much of this is being posted on the same day xD
> 
> Hope you enjoy! <3

When the Doctor opened her eyes, she realised she was sprawled on her back, drawing in uneven breaths at the bottom of a small ravine, flecks of debris still falling and tickling against her skin.

...She’d blacked out? She didn’t even remember a pulse this time. Not a good sign.

“Ow…” She rubbed at her aching head with a grumble, freezing as her fingers brushed against her temple.

She pulled it away to find a cracked disc in her hand.

_Oh no…_

A flash of panic spiked in her as she felt wildly for the other parts of her shield device. The other headpiece lay in pieces on the ground next to her, and one of her wristbands hung limply from her arm. That was when she realised, the tingling of her skin wasn’t from the dust that lazily fell…

Her hands looked like they were developing a rash, reddening skin tight and prickling. Her face felt the same, she could only assume the same thing was happening.

Only a quarter of her shield devices remained intact. She sucked in a deep breath, wincing at the ache that shot through her lungs, before pulling her sonic out and aiming it at the band. A faint shimmer flowed over her and she let out a sigh. “Reckon that gives me about an hour, maybe two if I’m lucky,” she mused, voice croaky. “It’ll have to do.”

She had a proper look at the small chasm she’d found herself in. There were rocks and other protrusions she could use as footholds, but it wasn’t great. Maybe she could contact Alt and—

Her head throbbed as it all came rushing back. How she’d turned on him, called him the Master, shorted out his shield. She buried her face in her hands, groaning. What had she _done_? It had all seemed like a sure fact before, but now...doubt hung over her like it was made of iron. All of time at her fingertips, all that was and could be...and hindsight always found a way to rear its ugly head.

She gasped with a stumble, her right heart beating off sync, rapid compared to her left. Hitting her chest with the heel of her palm, she fought to catch her breath as it calmed after a few seconds. She had to get out of here, _fast_.

Following the pull she felt towards her TARDIS as a guide, she hauled herself up the slope, gritting her teeth at the sheer exertion of just _climbing_. When she finally hoisted herself up with trembling arms, she fell onto her side, sucking air greedily into her spasming lungs.

This is _definitely_ not good.

“Right...no time to rest,” she mumbled, dragging herself to her feet once more. She’d done too much laying about in this place, she needed to get a shift on.

_Left...right...left...right_ …

Focusing on each foot in front of the other was her only surefire way of making sure she kept on her feet, like willing her body to stay balanced so her rhythm didn’t get thrown off. Not that she could call this a rhythm, more of an arrhythmic shuffle. Much like what her right heart was doing, actually. It hadn’t been beating right for the past ten minutes, and it was setting her on edge. Regeneration energy flitted under her skin, helping keep the fresh burns she acquired from exposure at bay, but did little to help the other more pressing matters. She stopped for a moment and looked up from the ground, hoping she’d made some headway. The black swirls continued to appear and vanish again, always staying close. She could easily ignore them by this point.

“Not really…” she answered herself with a sigh. She looked at the distant blue box longingly. “Are you doing this on purpose?” She took a step and stumbled, knees giving way as her breath hitched. Her left heart pounded furiously and the wave of dizziness left her disoriented. She bought a trembling hand up to the right side of her chest, panic welling inside of her.

It wasn’t beating.

Slamming her fist repeatedly against her chest, she hissed out a curse as it refused to kickstart. “Okay...still got...another heart…” she gasped between breaths. “No...biggy…”

Another dizzy spell hit her as she got to her feet again. It felt like the temperature had taken another sudden rise, burning away the oxygen with it. She could only hope her respiratory bypass system wouldn’t fail her when her lungs inevitably…

She shook her head, regretting it instantly as the world span around her yet again. She wasn’t going to think about that. Just like she wasn’t thinking about her remaining working heart beating overtime to pick up the slack.

...Okay, she couldn’t _not_ think about that, really. This wasn’t a problem she could push aside for later. She just...couldn’t deal with it in a way that wouldn’t cause major problems later.

If she increased the energy burning through her to repair the damage as it happened, she’d only exhaust herself to the point of collapse, and then...yeah, she may have found out she didn’t subscribe to the ‘limited regenerations’ concept other Timelords did, but who knew when she would finally burn out?

She swallowed against the dryness in her throat. Now _that_ was something she didn’t want to think about.

“Hey...Doctor…”

“...Yes Doctor?”

She shuffled forward, talking breathlessly to herself, lungs crackling and straining as muscles trembled with exertion.

“Just want...to say...I’m sorry...Doctor…”

She stopped.

“So...which Doctor...are you saying...that to?”

“...”

“...Yeah...thought so…”

Her eyelids drooped as her head dipped. She was so tired, how long had it been since she’d woken up and found her shield practically broken?

As an unwelcome answer to her question, the ground began to shake.

“Oh no…” she unenthusiastically mumbled, arms wrapping around herself as if that would help.

Of course, it didn’t.

She was on her knees before she realised, muscles spasming as the telepathic wave dug deep. A scream joined in with the screeching in her ears.

“M-my...my _thief_ —!” she cried out as she rolled helplessly on the ground, the words foreign on her tongue. “Come...to me!”

The quake subsided, as did the tension rattled up in her body, shallow pants escaping her as her remaining heart beat ferociously.

Blinking slowly in a poor attempt to clear the haze in her mind, she rolled onto her side, gazing unfocused eyes on the rip in the universe. It felt bigger. Angrier. Ready to swallow the TARDIS whole.

She weakly reached a hand out towards it, wishing it would swallow her with it, so they could finally reunite.

The screeching...the words she spoke...It filtered through her mind as her hand dropped back to the dirt.

“It’s you...isn’t it?” she whispered. “You’re...calling…to m—” She gasped as her lungs seized, coughing hard, the unpleasant metal tang in her mouth all too telling. “It’s...attacking you...attacking...me...” She clenched her hands into weak fists, watching as the soft golden glow danced beautifully beneath her skin. It would be _so_ easy to give in, she thought as she managed to proper herself up on her elbows, moving her legs beneath her. But never knowing when to quit was a signature move of her’s. Now if she could just get her body to stand up, she could carry on her way.

_If._

“Please…” she hissed, willing her body to move amidst the ache that ran down into her bones. Her left heart stuttered as her insides felt like they were ablaze. She hacked again, specks of blood soaking into the sand as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

She tried to stand, falling back down instantly with a cry, fingers digging into the dirt as frustration overwhelmed her.

If she regenerated, right here and now, what would that mean? Riding off post-regeneration energy to make it back to the TARDIS? How many lives would she use up to accomplish that?

If she returned to the fam with a new face—a new person entirely…

“Having some problems, are we dear?”

Oh, she didn’t even want to _look_ . As if things weren’t bad enough already. Fingers gently held her chin, setting her freshly regenerating skin alight with the touch. Her head was lifted to look the Master—the _only_ Master—in the eye.

“Seems you’ve had a bit of an accident,” the Master notes casually, feigning pity, as she eyes the missing devices. “Such a pity.”

The urge the Doctor had to punch her was so very strong.

“What did...you do to me?” she asked quietly. If she was going to die, she may as well try her luck for some answers. “What is this place?” The Master let go of her and looked around, before pacing around the Doctor slowly. There were flits of something on the Master’s back—her waistcoat lining, specifically—but she couldn’t make them out among the movement.

“It’s quite an interesting little quirk of this planet, actually.” She stopped pacing and took a seat on a sizable chunk of rock, perfectly poised on the uneven terrain as always. “It treats foreign matter—that of another universe—like an _infection_.” The Doctor remained quiet, waiting. “Truly fascinating, I’m sure you’ll agree. So I intended to test it to its limits—I began to weaken the boundary of this world, and then I waited. Surely enough, you came crashing through. I wasn’t counting on finding a Doctor who shared my face, but…” She gave a sickly sweet smile. “You were my little treat.”

She hopped off the rock and continued pacing, keeping in the Doctor’s line of sight at all times. “The pulses act as the planet’s own antibiotics, attempting to destroy the object so it can heal the damage. But if it can’t do that…”

“The infection...gets worse…” the Doctor managed to say, breath growing increasingly erratic. The Master snapped her fingers and pointed, a huge grin lighting her face.

“Bingo! The infection zone grows bigger and it becomes _so_ much more deadly.” The grin turned into something dark and dangerous. “This planet will be destroyed at the hands of a Doctor from another universe. Isn’t that just delicious?”

“But...I didn’t—”

“Oh, but you did.” The Master crouched before her again, leaning down low to make sure she could be seen. “I knew in at least one universe, our timelines would match up, that somewhere, _one of you_ would be searching for home. And now you get to die here, so _very_ far from home.”

“If killing me...was part of your...plans, then...then why...didn’t you kill me...before?”

“If my dear Doctor _ever_ has anything good in his life, it is my _duty_ to take it away from him,” she said coldly. “A kindred spirit turning against him? It’s almost _too_ perfect. All I had to do was set up a little telepathic timebomb when you and your TARDIS were at your most vulnerable, waiting for the moment when the two Doctors reunited at last...”

The Doctor kept her gaze firm, heart pounding dangerously. The ground rumbled once again—another attempt to rid this world of its infection. Her arms gave way and she crumpled to the ground, haggard whimpers escaping her. The Master stayed low, watching the Doctor silently as her skin was stuck in a loop of burning and healing, blood flying from her mouth as she coughed. The Master reached out, stroking a hand through her hair; it would be almost comforting, if not for the threat the hung over such a simple motion. The landscape ceased its shift as the quake died down once more, and the Master stood again.

The Doctor’s head was pounding, it was getting harder to piece her thoughts together. She had to get up—get away. She reached forward, attempting to find purchase on the ground, her palms slick with sweat. She had to—

A sword flew down onto her remaining shield device, piercing the circuitry and digging into her wrist. The Master towered over her, expression dark.

“We’ve had fun, but…” She twisted the blade in deeper, ignoring the Doctor’s cries and attempts to pull herself free from it. “I would love for you to die now.” Her lips twisted into a sickening smile. “You’ve lived _so_ many lives before, let’s see how many you have left.”

The toxic atmosphere hit her full force as her lungs felt like they were being ripped to shreds with each gasp of air. Her left heart spluttered, pulse rocketing through her as blood trickled from her nose. She didn’t even feel the sword as it slipped free from her arm.

“Now, what name shall I use for you, my sweet?” the Master mused in a sing-song tone. “Decisions, decisions…” She tapped her chin in thought. “You see, it’s a little game me and my eternity play—oh, there I go with giving away personal pet names, _so embarrassing_.” She let out a mocking giggle, turning around and revealing the back of her waistcoat. Gallifreyan was written upon it. “Every time I take one of his little pets away, I like to commemorate the occasion. Quite the little collection so far.”

Through blurred vision, the Doctor attempted to read the names. There were six, from what she could see, not all fully visible, but she had the feeling they didn’t need to be completely legible for the damage to be done. But one name she could see…

“Martha?” she choked out, voice raw. “Martha Jones?”

The Master span around, eyes lighting up with glee. “You knew her in your universe?” She let out a long sigh. “Poor little dear, had barely been travelling with him a couple of weeks. A few false promises, a little misdirection and some careful bargaining…she made the _perfect_ sacrificial lamb for my plans.”

The Doctor’s blood ran cold, amidst the heat that clung to her. Her whole body shook, and she wasn’t sure if it was from the sudden rush of hatred or the atmosphere doing its damage.

“I _did_ just have a new name added to the list, actually.” The Master’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts, as she hazily watched her undo the back fastener of her waistcoat, revealing the name in full.

‘Will’.

“But he—” the Doctor coughed hard, panting for air. If she poured anymore energy into herself, she’d completely regenerate. She needed to fight it somehow. “The Doctor—he said Will...was with family!”

The Master blinked a couple of times in confusion, before laughing. “He told you _that_ ? Oh, that’s adorable!” She leant over with a grin. “His family is _dead_ , love.” She straightened up again, looking disappointed. “Not by my hands, but _I_ finished the job at least. Now, tell me…” She used her sheathed cane to nudge at the Doctor’s rapidly weakening body. “My treat, as a thank you for the entertainment you’ve given me. What name would you like emblazoned for eternity as a symbol of my eternity’s failings?”

“She won’t be needing one.”

The voice rang out over the wastelands and the Master let out a huff, turning to the source of the objection.

“Can’t you let me have a _little_ fun for once, love?” she asked, sounding more like a petulant child that had been refused an extra hour on the playground. Alt made his way down the slope, instantly placing himself between her and the Doctor.

“I think you’ve had enough fun for one lifetime,” he said darkly.

“And I’ve got plenty more where that came from,” she quipped back. “All thanks to you, of course, _my eternity_ .” She practically spat the name in his face. She took a step back, turning herself so her back was showing but she could still see him. “So, what do you think of the newest addition? I’m running out of space, you really are making this _too_ easy.” She turned around. “It’s like you _want_ me to take these strays off your hands. Give me a challenge, love.”

He stepped forward, teeth bared and she jumped a little in jest, still smirking.

“Still raw, eh?” she whispered. “You’ll get numb to it one day.” Her eyes darkened. “We all do.”

“Never.” His voice was low but sure. He put a hand into his trouser pocket. It went unnoticed by her. “Those names you carry for me? They’re a reminder of why I do this—why I will follow you to the ends of the universe and _stop you_.”

She placed her hand against her chest, letting out a small patronising ‘aww’. “All that for me? I’m touched.” Her face grew serious. “ _Really_.”

“Don’t be.”

He snapped his fingers on his free hand and a glint caught the Master’s eye; the Doctor had her sonic weakly aimed at her, buzzing until a click sounded at the back of her neck. Alt ripped the shield from her her neck as he pulled out a large disc from his pocket—a Thijarian teleporter. He slammed it against her chest as the sonic behind him whirred again, sending her away before she could even say a word.

Within seconds, he was desperately clamping the shield around the Doctor’s neck, using his own sonic to activate it. The shimmer was some comfort, but it wasn’t over yet. He felt for her pulse, alarmed at the single uneven beat that was so very faint.

“...Came back...f’me…?” The words were so quiet he almost missed them. He tucked some strands of messy hair behind her ear, watching her carefully. He was more than relieved his plan had worked, that she’d been able to figure out why he was keeping the Master’s attention away. It felt as if a spark had lit within him for the first time in a long while. It was weak, but oh so warm, so very good.

“I have a duty of care,” he said softly. The Doctor let out a snort, almost sounding like a sob, before going limp. Panic flared up again at the sight.

“Stay with me, Doctor!” His tone was urgent as he held her hand between his own, a golden glow seeping from him and into her body. It would be enough, _let it be enough_ , he thought desperately as he felt the energy repair her body, piece by piece. Organs functioning as they should, lungs reassembling, right heart starting up once again. He halted the flow, gasping for breath. It wasn’t a full job, but she’d be able to heal the rest on her own without the threat of regeneration.

She let out a long groan, scrunching her eyes and pulling a face before finally opening her eyes and being met with Alt’s smiling face.

“Thank you.” She sounded so tired, he desperately wished they didn’t have to carry on their journey, that the pulses wouldn’t keep assaulting her so she could rest. “You...your shield, I…”

“Nothing I couldn’t fix,” he said with a weary smile. “It’s tech from my own universe, afterall. Now, come on.” He held out a hand. “We still have a way to go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well at least they don't have to worry about her anymore xD Lot to unpack. S'all good though~
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a heart to heart before parting ways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are, final chapter! Been a real fun one :D
> 
> One final time, hope you enjoy it, thanks so much for the support! <3

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

The Doctor laughed with a shake of her head, ignoring the pain shooting through it. Another pulse had just come and gone. She was exhausted, her head was fuzzy and she was clinging onto Alt for dear life to keep upright; all in all she was anything  _ but _ alright. And yet…

“I’m fine. Be better when we get to the TARDIS though.”

She still clung to the illusion that she was okay. She knew he saw right through her though.

“We’ll be there soon enough,” he said reassuringly. Silence once again descended upon them as they slowly made their way forward.

The Doctor thought for words, her head a mass of confusion she wasn’t comfortable with. “I’m sorry,” she finally said. “Those things I said, I didn’t mean...I didn’t  _ know _ —”

“I know. It’s okay.” The solemn tone in his voice, the way his eyes looked somewhere else entirely; it made her hearts ache. She knew it all too well. “Causing harm to those around us isn’t exactly a lie.”

“You two were close.” It wasn’t a question.

“Isn’t that always the way?”

It was. Heartbreakingly so. She let the feeling rush over her, just breathed until it passed. “How did he..?” She wasn’t sure why she asked. Morbid curiosity, she supposed. For a moment, she thought she’d crossed a line, especially with how she’d acted earlier. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have—”

“On Gallifrey,” he answered suddenly. “He took the fall against the Master so I could escape—set off the death particle. Claimed he had no reason to leave the planet alive.” Alt shook his head with a humourless laugh, eyes alight with unshed tears. “Not a single reason in this whole universe. Not even...” He fell quiet for a moment. “If I’d only known his grief.”

She knew that regret well, enough that in a past life she’d have ripped the universe apart to fix it.

“Clara…” she said, so quietly it was lost to the rumble in the sky. The world around them dimmed, as if joining them in their somber moment.

Alt held onto both her hands, pulling her up the final part of the steep incline as, at last, they stood just metres away from the TARDIS. The ground rumbled constantly here, the tear enormous, swirling and pulsing and feeling like it would devour them whole.

But what took the Doctor’s attention was the box that stood in near tatters before her. Like a candle burning its embers, barely any life thrummed from it, scratches and burns littered the exterior, windows cracked and smashed. It was a sorry sight.

Her legs carried her over to her beloved ship before she’d even realised, as she grasped it for dear life, tears welling up and falling freely. “I’m so sorry,” she mumbled into the wood. “Please...I need you.” The door clicked and her eyes lit up. Her wonderful ghost monument, so loyal, so brave.

They stepped in to find the lights a dim blue, the console sparking. How was she going to get them home like this? Stumbling up to the console, she took a moment to let her hands drift over the controls. “I’m here now, it’s okay,” she spoke to the central pillar. “We’ll be okay.”

A low blip sounded; the Doctor’s frown deepened.

“It’s taken her energy—she can’t leave.” Alt stepped forward.

“She will. I can make sure of it.” The Doctor turned her head to look at him, puzzled, as he pulled out his sonic. “By now the infection zone will have swallowed up my TARDIS. It’s safe, thanks to the shields, but it also means…” He activated the device and the Doctor saw a glow in the distance, rising up into the sky, making its way closer. The TARDIS rumbled as a golden glow enveloped it. The console and lights sprang into life once more; the Doctor grinned at the sight, before it faded again. She approached Alt.

“Your TARDIS—will you both be okay? Wasn’t that energy powering your shields?” she asked, brows pinching in worry.

“When you leave, this place will have no reason to be. We will be fine, Doctor.” She put her hands on his shoulders, giving him a long look.

“Promise me,” she said firmly. “I can’t go my whole life wondering if you made it out or not.  _ Please _ , Doctor. _. _ ”

He nodded. “I promise.” He raised his hands to meet hers, bringing them down and holding them tight. A final pulse was on its way, she could feel it. She breathed through it as best she could, the contact grounding her. She gasped, doubling over herself as Alt moved forward, moving an arm around her to keep her steady. As it faded, he moved away, giving her space. A simple gesture she was greatly thankful for. “Go now, quickly. You have friends waiting for you, right? Promise you’ll return to them.” It was her turn to nod.

“I promise.”

One last long look, and he turned to walk away.

“Promise me one more thing,” she called over, before he could reach the doors. He stopped, and waited. “Find someone. Don’t be alone. Don’t be afraid.”

A small smile crept onto his face as he continued to walk, raising a hand in acknowledgement. The doors swung shut as he left, leaving only the joyous thrum of the engine and wonderfully familiar smells to fill her senses.

“Ready then, old girl?” she asked with a grin, flipping a few switches and gazing around the room. “I promise you’ll get that dodgy circuit fixed and more for this.” Pulling down the lever, she was ready to leave this universe behind.

Graham sat at the kitchen table, thoroughly enjoying his fresh cup of tea. The sound of the TV from the living room filtered in, adding a comforting ambience to the place. The sun was low, soon to set, and it wouldn’t be long before Ryan returned home from work.

The familiar whirring outside wasn’t something he’d expected, and while it usually meant the calm was about to be shattered, he’d never ignore it for a second. Opening his front door, he looked over to the blue box across the street, frowned at the damage it had sustained, and reached for his coat before leaving.

The TARDIS door opened before he made it to his front gate, and Graham found his pace picking up. The Doctor leant heavily on the doorway as smoke escaped through the opening, smeared in dried blood, a few light burns, and looking like she was ready to drop to the floor any second.

“Hi Graham!” she said, chipper enough, beaming from ear to ear.

“Blimey ‘eck Doc, what did you do now?” he asked. The Doctor let out a nervous laugh, looking behind her at the frazzled engines.

“Bit of a long story,” she said, the door slamming shut as she stepped out. “The TARDIS is going to kick me out for a little while while she fixes herself up. Mind if I have a bit of a kip on your sofa? Been a long day.”

“Say no more,” Graham said with a sigh, placing his arm around her shoulders and helping her across the street. “Get cleaned up first, though. I’m not ‘aving blood on the furniture.”

“Yeah yeah…” she replied with a long sigh. He set her down at the kitchen table and wet a couple of cloths, helping her get the worst of it off. Graham was more than a little relieved that the blood wasn’t fresh, but it didn’t do anything to ease the flurry of questions mounting in his head. Later, though. Always later.

With her coat and boots off, she flopped heavily onto the sofa, letting out a long contented breath as she muttered something about looking for a really nice hat. She realised how little she’d truly appreciated what a wonderful sofa it really was.

Casting a sleepy thought over to the other Doctor, all she could do was hope he was safe, and find a fam all his own. “‘S’good to be home,” she mumbled, before drifting off into a much needed sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parting is such sweet sorrow :') Been posting some tidbits and art about Whittaker!Master on my tumblr here: <https://doodlebless.tumblr.com/tagged/whittaker!master>, and would love to post/talk more about the AU if anyone's interested!
> 
> Thanks so so much for reading, love you all! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! <3
> 
> Here's the art that inspired this, it was real fun to work on~ Warning for blood! <https://doodlebless.tumblr.com/post/614963782917160960>


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